I have read many books on prayer including all E M Bounds books on the topic. Recently I read a book called “Unrelenting Prayer” by a man called Bob Sorge. Bob Sorge was a pastor and worship leader, who several years ago, suffered an accident to his throat. Can you think of anything more horrible happening to a preacher...and a worship leader?
However in the book "Unrelenting Prayer" Bob Sorge has given one of the best expositions of Luke 18:1-8:
"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:1-8 KJV
Below is how it spoke to me!
Here was a woman of Israel, a widow with no male to represent her so you can imagine her lot when she was faced with an adversary (probably a man) who wanted to take advantage of her now that she was a widow. In the Israel of that time she has no representative (we thank God for all our family and relatives who can rally by us with their faith and assistance) and so has to take matters into her own hands. To add insult to injury she has to approach an unjust judge as Jesus said, a judge who feared not God nor regarded man.
As far as we can see this widow’s case is doomed huh? But the widow refused to see it that way! She had only one recourse, and no other support or assistance was in her sight, so she took the only route open to her. She approached the unjust judge…who of course did not listen to her! So what does she do? Does she turn away defeated and throw up her hands in despair? Does she turn over lie down and die because no one cared?
NO absolutely NOT!
That judge simply did not know what he had just let himself in for! She camped on his doorstep, and cried every time she saw him “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
He would not listen!
She waylaid him in the streets “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
He would not listen!
She waited when he came out of his office “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
He studiously ignored her!
Next day she repeated the process all over “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
... and the next day…and the next…“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
She just did not know how to give up or when to give up!
NO! She simply could NOT afford to give up!
Her attitude spoke loudly: If I die then I die but I will die trying for this is the ONLY venue open to me and I will work it for all it is worth… “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
I will knock on your door, I will rap at your window, I will cry after you in the street, I will follow you to the market place and back home.
I will continue to call on you to...
“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
Can you see her peering in at the restaurant window where the judge is sitting down to dinner with his wife?
“Yoo! Hoo! AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!” Can you hear the judge’s wife asking, “Who is that woman? Get rid of her!" All the unceasing cry is finally getting to the judge and he decides to do as the woman wanted “lest by her continual coming she weary me”!!!
Now comes the sweet part! Jesus said “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” See the paradox? Though HE bear LONG with them yet HE will avenge them SPEEDILY!!! How can you bear LONG and yet do it SPEEDILY?
Then you picture the LORD on His throne hearing the cry from out of your heart, pouring from your lips, as in all your afflicted, storm tossed, pain filled being you are tearfully crying, “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
… and He does not seem to hear! The heavens seem like brass and your voice rebounds back to you increasing your despair, discouragement, disappointment, disillusion, doubts, depression, as Satan mocks you and pours on the pressure.
What do you do then?
Do you give up?
Do you throw down weapons, lay down your tools, fold into yourself and roll over and die.
NO! NO! NO!
We do not! What do we do then?
We eyeball Satan with our fiercest look and turn right back to Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven’s door!
“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
Let Satan laugh
“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
Let the demons mock
“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
Let the world smirk in skepticism
“AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
There is no other way, no other source, no other person but my Father in Heaven.
I will continue to ask “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
I will continue to seek “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
I will continue to knock “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
LORD I am still here! I am not leaving! “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
Hellooooo God! “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
Now I believe that if we are in God’s will and doing it His way He will continue to work on our behalf despite our condition.
I have mentioned many times, that regardless of what we are going through, the very fact that we are still alive means that God wills it to be so, and it means that He still has something for us to do, even if it is to learn something that can be passed on to our posterity!
He will only call you home when your task for Him is completed. So in the meantime LIVE! Fulfill HIS purpose!
While we have life and breathe within us, we continue to live for Him and breathe for Him, but we will also continue to cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
And what is God doing all this time?
He hears you and can you see Him ordering the angels to catch every tear that you shed as you cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
All your prayers are placed like precious incense into heavenly containers as you CEASELESSLY cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
Your cry is music to His ears for He loves you so MUCH!
… and then suddenly the cry strikes a responding chord and harmonizes with Heaven’s song!
…and the LORD who has borne long, so long with you rises from His throne with fire in His eyes, thunder in His Voice and wrath against your adversary radiating from His face, as he bends the firmament and steps out onto the clouds to fight on your behalf, for your cries have resounded and echoed through heaven as you unceasingly called “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
David says: In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. Psalms 18:6-21 KJV
He has borne long with you, but now that He is moving on your behalf it happens SPEEDILY.
The enemy will not only be made to restore to you but also to make restitution.
So while it may seem as though there is no answer we have no other recourse but to keep crying “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
We will continue to cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!” until the Lord moves on our behalf, or until He calls us home.
But we will not cease crying! “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
Like the president in the Independence Day movie said: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on, we're going to survive!!!
We will not go quietly out into the night but will ceaselessly cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
We will not vanish without a fight but will ceaselessly cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
We're going to live on, we're going to survive and will ceaselessly cry “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
We will not give up without a tooth and nails, lick down, dragged out, punch out, kicking and screaming fight “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
We will fight like Billy Sunday said of sin "I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, and I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist. I’ll butt it as long as I’ve got a head. I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth. And when I’m old and fistless and footless and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition!"
For we have within us, in this frail physical body eternity itself and we will not allow the frailty to control us, but will behave like the spirit creations in Christ that we are and we will cry continuously to our God “AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY!”
And He will!
THE LORD WILL AVENGE US...SPEEDILY!!!
